Several agencies have revised their COVID-19 safety plans and have reinforced telework guidance to their workforces in recent weeks, following new mandates from the Biden administration.  The Office of Management and Budget had asked agencies to update and resubmit COVID-19 plans to the …

The General Services Administration (GSA) announced that beta.SAM.gov will be updated on April 26, 2021, to receive a new look and feel, and, on May 24, 2021, GSA will migrate the current SAM.gov functionality onto beta.SAM.gov and drop the “beta.” Read more here.

The Buy American Act has a number of exceptions and waivers. The United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year in contracting alone. The Buy American Act is intended to keep federal dollars in the hands of American …

On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing (EO), which requires federal agencies to issue guidance that complies with the Center for Disease Control’s recommended public health measures for combatting COVID-19, such as …

Breaking into the federal government contracting marketplace can be challenging, and many small businesses choose to start as subcontractors. But when those companies later bid on prime contracts, they sometimes find that they cannot get past performance reviews for their …

The Department of Defense (DOD) published a memo outlining a procedure that contracting officers should use to verify the eligibility of a concern for a set-aside or sole-source award under the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program, in lieu of using …

The General Services Administration announced an update to Product Service Codes (PSCs) within the Integrated Acquisition Environment. The new codes also align with a new PSC Manual. The changes include: –Activating 155 new research and development codes; –Setting termination dates for …

As per a November 16, 2020 announcement from the State of Alaska, Department of Commerce and Economic Development Renewal fees for Business License renewals have been waived.  You still need to complete the renewal application and when submitted the fee …

‘Tis the season for holiday cheer and the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”).  The NDAA, commonly referred to as “must pass” legislation, is a key legislative vehicle that Congress uses each year to address a wide variety of issues, from …

February of 2020 seems like a long time ago, for many reasons. But that was when the official version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) standards were released. Recently, the DoD issued an interim rule that will update the DFARS to implement …

SBA Proposes Small Business Size Standard Revisions in Three Industry Sectors: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Management of Companies and Enterprises; Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services On Friday, November 13, 2020 SBA published a proposed rule …

Nextgov reported that the deadline for adopting a new identifier for non-governmental organizations receiving funds from the government has been pushed, giving federal agencies and contractors another 16 months to patch and test their systems. The government is shifting from …

The U.S. Small Business Administration has made some important updates to the HUBZone program, including important information regarding continuing eligibility and Redesignated Areas. COVID-19 Flexibilities In response to COVID-19, the HUBZone program issued flexibilities to HUBZone businesses effective March 13, 2020.   Some …

As a reminder, beginning on October 15, 2020, all women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs) pursuing WOSB/EDWOSB set-asides, as well as solicitations with pools reserved for WOSBs/EDWOSBs, must be certified as a WOSB/EDWOSB, either by …

The next major transition to beta.SAM—the FPDS contract award data reporting tools— is coming next month, with the legacy SAM.gov next on deck. Moving the reporting functions of the Federal Procurement Data System—and other parts of the larger transition—has led …

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has addressed in regulatory fashion the uncertainty over who is entitled to leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  A New York federal judge created the uncertainty on August 2, 2020 by …

The Department of Defense (DOD) released additional policies and guidance on the implementation of Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Section 3610 allows the government to reimburse contractors for certain leave paid to employees …

It’s been two years since Congress passed legislation aimed at purging equipment made by untrusted telecom companies like ZTE and Huawei from the federal supply chain. Last week, an interim rule that fully implements the legislation finally took effect. And …

Women-Owned Contracting Goal Met for the Second Time in Scorecard History; $4.1 Billion in Federal Contracts Awarded to Small Businesses in Alaska! The U.S. Small Business Administration announces the federal government exceeded its small business federal contracting goal, awarding 26.5% – or …

The Federal Acquisition Regulation has officially been updated to increase the micro-purchase threshold and the simplified acquisition threshold, effective August 31, 2020. Various federal agencies had already increased the thresholds through deviations, but this rule makes it official across the board. A …